Shinnyani Ijisha
by Kashim Kururugi
Summary: AU: Taken in by the Kuran family after having been found abandoned mysteriously by his true parents in a box on the side of the road, Kaname soon becomes their daughters guardian, in life... and in death... and death is... as they say... just the beginning.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or it's characters and I make no profit off these writings.

A/N Another AU. What am I thinking? I don't even know... I need to write some stuff while they're at the Academy. XD Anyways... bare with me through this story. It's gonna get rough, but just stay with me. Trust me.

XxXxX

A chilly and stormy October midnight and the occupants of the home that should have been sleeping were up late in the den talking quietly. The young boy had easily sensed that his adoptive parents were awake and had snuck downstairs to see if anything was wrong, since he often worried about things that a boy his age needn't be concerning himself with. He stopped at the door and paused before opening it, hearing his parent's quiet words.

"I'm so glad we can finally have a child of our own." Juri said softly, holding her hands over her belly as her husband worked at his desk on a few papers. He suddenly paused though at her words and gave her an odd look. "Don't get me wrong… Kaname has been a wonderful son… but… it just isn't the same as having a child made from our love."

Kaname turned and walked away from the door. He honestly didn't blame them, he understood completely… although… it still was slightly painful that his adoptive parents were probably going to forget about him when the new baby was born. Why shouldn't they? They wouldn't need him anymore and it would probably be best if he let that happen. He was glad that this child would have such wonderful parents, unlike his who abandon him because of his health issue of blistering up when he went into the sunlight. They had considered him a demon and left him to die on the side of the road and he would have, had Haruka and Juri not kindly taken him in and raised him as their own. Juri was especially happy, having not been able to have children after many attempts.

He walked up the stairs back to his room, avoiding the exact stairs that creaked when stepped upon so they wouldn't feel guilty in knowing he had heard. Whatever happened… he was going to be excited to meet the new baby soon.

XxXxX

The time flew by and they officially announced the pregnancy to him, not knowing he'd heard and told him that he had a lot of responsibility as the older brother to protect his younger sibling. Even more time went by faster than he could have ever thought and the anticipated day of the birth came with the doctor and the nurse rushing in and out of his mother's room while his father paced back and forth nervously.

Kaname wasn't the slightest bit concerned with it all. He knew it would be fine, he had confidence and faith that it would all turn out just fine. People might think that he was apathetic or uncaring or cruel, but really he just had a lot of confidence that people could do things to the best of their abilities and make it out fine. His assumptions were right when the doctor said everything went well and both Juri and the baby were perfectly healthy. That night he was able to hold his baby sister in his arms and for once it stirred warmth inside him that he had oddly never felt before. Like a bubble of the sunshine he couldn't feel on his skin spreading through his chest and warming him from the inside. He made a pact right then and there that no matter what he was going to protect this warmth at all costs.

A few months later and he still hadn't left her side, they were attached at all times and were hardly separated, though he couldn't be around her quite as often as he wanted considering the sleep schedule. Due to his health Kaname slept at night when the sun couldn't touch him and luckily his parents weren't cruel about this, they were instead very kind and understanding. He knew he was very lucky to have them as others wouldn't put up with this behavior, health or not.

"Kaname, Haruka and I have a meeting to attend at the city hall. Please watch over Yuki for us." Juri said softly, smiling at him and gently soothing her hand through his dark hair.

"Of course. I'll make sure she is well taken care of." He replied quickly and Juri made a face.

"So formal. Can't you just give your mother a big hug and say 'yes'?" She asked and he furrowed his brow in confusion. Why wouldn't he be polite and formal with them?

"Ah. Yes." He did his best to be informal and hugged her.

"Take care Kaname." Haruka said. "The maids are here if you need anything."

"Be safe on your trip." Kaname replied calmly and Haruka nodded before pulling on his coat and heading out the door with Juri. They left to go out and Kaname walked back to the living room to pick Yuki up and take her to her crib. "Yuki… it's getting dark, so you have to sleep, but don't worry. Since I have to sleeping during the light hours I'll be your midnight guardian."_  
_  
XxXxX

It started off as a cold snowy day, which soon turned to night and stirred life to those certain creatures that lived for shadows. The door to the large mansion opened slowly and a large gust of wind blew in, bringing in snow and cold air, before a figure quickly closed it and brushed back his scarf that had just about strangled him from that strong wind. "I'm home."

''Brother! Welcome home!'' Yuki ran into the room and latched onto his leg.

"Ah, Yuki." He greeted, offering her a rare warm smile that was reserved for her and her alone. Nobody else would ever get to see it.

''Kaname, Mommy is making cookies!'' She told him excitedly.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Yes! And Daddy is helping!"

"Hmmm. I see. That explains the lack of attack I got coming in." He stated, deep in thought. Normally coming through the door he'd get tackled by the whole lot of them.

"Aahh Kaname, welcome home, son." Haruka smiled when he walked into the room to greet him, licking cookie dough off his fingers.

"Father." Kaname greeted him, lightly setting a hand in Yuki's hair.

"How was your trip?"

"It was well..." He said slowly, removing his coat and scarf and hanging them up. Trying to avoid farther questions, because he just didn't want to tell them it didn't turn out well and upset them.

"Come now, Kaname. Or do you have a secrete girlfriend?" Haruka joked gently. Yuki looked confused at Kaname, hearing her father's words.

"Uh! Father, why would you say something like that?"

"Because you were avoiding my question, Kaname. I am your father after all..." At that moment Juri choose to appear.

"Kaname!" She pinched his cheek and he grumbled, while Yuki giggled, happy to be between two of the people she loved most. Now only if her father would get in on the hug as well…

"Mother... please... this is not needed."

"Oh..." Juri paused suddenly.

"What is it, my love?" Haruka asked, stepping closer to try and see what was going on and to also get closer to Juri since he just couldn't seem to stay away for five minutes.

"Kaname... where did you get this bruise? Did you get into a fight?" She asked, but received no answer as Kaname looked down at the ground. He was ashamed of it of course; he had always been well behaved and never psychically fought with anyone. He decided it was best to be honest finally and answered her.

"Yes..."

"With whom?" Juri asked him, worried now. Her son had never been one for fighting and she wondered what had happened to so suddenly change that. "And why?"

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a moment. "There is nothing to protect me from. I am sure it will not be an issue again-mother... why do you have to keep patting my head like that?"

"Because you're acting like such an old man. Maybe if I treat you like a baby you'll revert and tell mother what happened." Juri smiled and Kaname simply stood there, frowning.

"Fine... fine... only if you will stop..." Kaname finally gave in to the insistent patting and Juri waited patiently. "It was Kiryu. He called me a siscon." Kaname informed, extremely unhappy and Juri was silent a moment, before she burst out laughing, which only led Kaname to sighing again.

"I'm sorry Kaname. It's just silly. I never thought you would get into a fight over fickle name calling like that. My boy IS normal." Juri smiled and rubbed his head once more, ruffling his hair. "You should go get cleaned up for dinner."

"Yes, mother." He glanced down at Yuki and waited for her to let go of him so he could go, but she didn't seem like she was willing to do that right now and he could only smile slightly at her in return to her affection.

"Come Yuki." Juri held out her hand and Yuki made her way over where they could go to the kitchen and finish making the cookies, so long as Haruka hadn't eaten all the batter that was. Kaname removed his heavy snow boots so he didn't track it across the floor and made his way upstairs, mid-way up he stopped as the room started to spin. He closed his eyes and leaned against the railing to try and keep from falling. It took a few minutes, but he managed to regain enough composure to make it upstairs and to his room.

He went straight to his room to take a quick shower and clean up, before dressing in a hurry. The shower took longer than he wanted and he was slow to dress as his head still hurt badly. Maybe if he just got some water this aching headache would go away. So he made sure to quickly start down the stairs and head into the kitchen.

"Lord Kaname…" The maid said in surprise when he barged in so suddenly. "Your family is in the dining room waiting for you… the meal is already set up."

"Yes, I'll just… be a moment…" He grabbed a glass and turned on the water, but the headache came back tenfold and he suddenly collapsed on the ground and the glass shattered beside him from the force of falling.

"Lord Kaname!" The maid screamed in horror and the scream and the breaking glass were the last thing he heard before his vision faded into the pitch black darkness of a dreamless sleep.

XxXxX

"I have never seen anything quite like it." The doctor informed the Kurans as he packed his medical supplies up in his bag. "I am afraid I have done all I can. There's nothing more."

"Doctor… you're sure? There is nothing you can do to help my son?" Juri asked while Haruka held her and did his best to comfort her.

"Unless… you want to end his suffering now or prolong it. I can put him to sleep and stop the pain right now, but that's it."

"No!" Juri said in horror, not possibly comprehending why the man wanted to take away what little, but precious time they had with their son. There could always be a chance he would pull through even if the doctors said he couldn't.

"It is your wish, but I won't give him more than a month." The doctor replied calmly and tipped his hat to them respectfully, before leaving the room. He offered a smile to the young girl waiting outside before leaving the estate. There was nothing more he could do. In all his years he had never seen anything like it, but the one thing that was for ensure was that he was indeed dying and it was to the point nothing could stop that.

After watching the doctor leave Juri sat down on the bed beside Kaname and strokes his hair back gently, trying to sooth him in whatever way she could. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and lingered a moment, before going back to stroking his hair.

"Kaname… my sweet baby boy… is there anything I can get for you?" She asked and he forced a weak smile for her sake.

"There… is nothing. I will be fine." He promised, trying to make the worry leave her eyes, but nothing he said, it seemed, would make that worry leave. "I suppose never being sick has finally caught up with me, perhaps… it is just that it is all hitting me at once and I will be better by morning… please don't concern yourself."

"If you need anything please do call Kaname. I will come running to take care of you." She promised and stood, patting his head once more before she left him to his peace, since knowing him it seemed that was what he wanted.

"Be strong my boy. I know you can pull through this." Haruka told him, smiling softly and patting his shoulder, before following his wife's footsteps.

Kaname sighed deeply and turned his face to the side, looking out the window. He wasn't quite sure what to think that the doctor had put an expiration date on him, but no. He was not concerned with what that man thought. He would not leave his family alone like this.

Slowly he watched the seasons pass by the window and he was mostly left alone to his thoughts. Some nights were worse than others, but on a particularly painful night Yuki had snuck in to see him. She was convinced that reading to him would make him feel better, no matter how clumsily it was done he greatly enjoyed her spending time with him and reading to him. The stories started off childish from her books and fairy tales and gradually as she grew older she became more interested in things other than fairy tales, though the occasional fairy tale still remained. He wasn't getting any better, but at least he had beaten the date that had been set on him. He glanced out the window once more and watched the leaves falling from the trees slowly in a colorful mix as her soft words as she read to him eased his unease.

"And with a grim sort of smile, which showed more than he had yet done his protuberant teeth, sat himself down again on his own side of the fireplace. We were both silent for a while, and as I looked towards the window I saw the first dim streak of the coming dawn. There seemed a strange stillness over everything." She paused in her reading of the book and glanced over at him, finding his gaze on the outside as it usually was if it wasn't on her. "Are you feeling alright? Do you need rest?"

"I tend to feel better during the dark hours. Ah, but it is late, so you should get some rest, Yuki. We can continue tomorrow night so long as you are not busy with your school work. Until then I don't wish to keep you up so late." He replied as his eyes met hers.

There it was one of those looks that he gave her whenever his eyes met hers. That type of look that was more than just an innocent glance, but something that seemed to burn with a strong covetousness that portrayed that he looked at her as more than a sister. She loved her brother, but as anything more she wasn't sure. Blood related or not the thought made her mind scream taboo and ended up with a strong internal battle. She did not think that she could love him as a man… in the way that he seemed to love her. Regardless she could not do anything about his feelings, just as she could not do anything about her own.

"Yes, you are right." She slid a book mark into the book and closed it, before standing up and folding her hands over the book and holding it in front of her in a self-protective sort of way.

"Don't tell me you believe that book's ideas, Yuki… or… is it me that you are afraid of?" He asked slowly, eyes locked on hers in a way that made her nervous. So much so in fact that she fidgeted where she stood and averted her eyes to one of the blandly white walls, urging half of her mind to wonder how he could possibly stand being in this dull room at all times. "Ahh…" He exhaled slowly, licking his lips since they were so dry as he looked away. "I see."

"No. It isn't like what you are suggesting!"

"Isn't it?" Kaname finally looked back to her and titled his head to the side.

"No. It's not." To prove her point she sat back down. "I'll stay up for a while longer and we'll continue to read."

He took a deep breath and held it, forcing himself to sit up as tiring as it may be. He managed somehow to sit up on his own and Yuki gave him a worried look, wondering if she had done something wrong or upset him somehow.

"I just want to sit closer to you." He replied calmly, folding his hands in his lap and looking at the book and not her so he didn't make her nervous again. In an attempt to prove him wrong she shifted closer to him, especially so he could see the book more easily as she opened it and continued from where she had left off and from there they continued to listen and explore the story late into the night.

"But my very feelings changed to repulsion and terror when I saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window and begin to crawl down the castle wall over the dreadful abyss, face down with his cloak spreading out around him like great wings." She paused and made a face, a disturbed one before continuing. "At first I could not believe my eyes. I thought it was some trick of the moonlight, some weird effect of shadow, but I kept looking, and it could be no delusion. I saw the fingers and toes grasp the corners of the stones, worn clear of the mortar by the stress of years, and by thus using every projection and inequality move downwards with considerable speed, just as a lizard moves along a wall."

"Are you scared… Yuki?" He asked quietly. "You look scared. It is only a book. It is not real. And besides that… I'll protect you."

"I'm not scared. It's just late and I'm tired." Yuki defended and he smiled lightly and he reached forward and the simple touch of his hand on her side made her jump. "I should stop reading I guess…"

"We can continue tomorrow… if you are not too scared that is." His hand grasped her wrist and he pulled her a little closer, kissing her cheek gently. "My sweet, Yuki. Don't be scared."

"Kaname…" She was surprised with his odd behavior. He had changed gears so abruptly from teasing to actually being concerned. Her hand went to his forehead and brushed his hair back gently. It was as she suspected, his fever was up. "You need rest. Your fever is bad again."

"Stay with me… Yuki…?"

"Okay, but lay down." She ordered and he frowned at her command, but obeyed. She disappeared from the room to get a cool rag for him. By the time she made it back to the room she realized that he had fallen asleep already. She sat on the bed beside him very carefully and wiped around his face gently, wiping away the sweat that started from his fever. He had beaten the death warrant that was given to him, but he was still sick and he didn't seem like he would ever get any better. His condition remained.

XxXxX

Today was the day her uncle Rido was visiting them with Ichijo Sr. an executive at her parents work place. She decided she would hide in Kaname's room with him pretending she was too busy taking care of him to visit with her uncle. That man made her skin crawl when he looked at her with his mismatched eyes like he might devour her in some disturbing way that no uncle should think of their niece.

On her way to his room she stopped upon hearing a bit of her parents conversation with her uncle in the kitchen.

"You should put that boy out of his misery already." Rido told them, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. He was leaned back so far the chair was tipped on the back legs, balanced awkwardly as if one single move might tip him over the edge, yet he rocked back and forth on the back legs as if tempting his own fall.

"Rido…" Haruka began before Juri could say anything that would spark Rido's rage. "Kaname told us himself, he wants to hold on until he can see that Yuki grows well. She's the only reason he's held on so long. He's a good boy. He always has been."

"I thought we were here to discuss business… Rido." Ichijo asked, arms crossed as he wasn't too happy with going off topic.

She turned her back into the wall and held her hands over her heart. Was he suffering because he was too worried about her? She didn't want his fate to be that way. She wanted his pain to be gone, even if she desperately wanted him to stay with her. It made her wonder what the point to life was, was it God's will to put them in this world to simply to die? Was this life truly all for naught, or was there a meaning behind all the pain and death?

She decided that it was best to leave it out of her thoughts before she got a headache by thinking of it too much and headed to Kaname's room. Opening the door a rumble of thunder shook the entire house it was so loud and despite herself she jumped a little. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, noticing Kaname was lying in a slightly twisted position with an arm over his eyes, trying to block out the light coming in through the slightly open curtains.

"Yuki…" He drawled, pausing to take a deep breath. "You should be visiting with your uncle while he's here."

Frowning she changed the subject. "How did you know it was me?"

"I know your footsteps." He replied calmly. "You're avoiding my question."

"I don't like being around him and Ichijo." She told him, coming over to sit on the side of his bed carefully, so as not to jar him if he wasn't feeling well at the moment.

"Why's that? Ichijo's just an absent-minded, sexually repressed sycophant. He won't be any threat to you at all."

"Kaname!" She scolded, hoping that nobody had heard him saying something so bluntly that would get him into trouble.

"It's fine." He sat up a little and snuggled along her back, breathing in her warmth deeply. "Yuki… just stay here with me then."

"I was…" She tensed a little, but relaxed under him after a minute or so. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to his strange tendencies to randomly hug her out of nowhere. He always wanted to be as close to her as he could possibly get and it did feel strange, but right now something was really off for sure. His actions (while not odd as he often did this) were off somehow.

"I missed you… you didn't stay with me last night."

"I was going to, but I remembered uncle was coming and it would be awkward… and you were asleep so I didn't want to wake you."

"I wouldn't have minded… Yuki… since you didn't stay last night can you stay tonight?" Kaname asked quietly, voice gentle and warm, just the same as his touch as he wrapped his arms around her middle and she felt his nose brush across her neck.

"What are you doing?"

"Sorry… you smell so good that I can't help it. I… want to…" His voice trailed and as he was about to finish his sentence the door opened.

Regardless of the opening door… there was silence from Haruka as he stared at the two of them sitting there so close. He wasn't exactly pleased with it, but he wasn't mad or upset either. Neither of the two were moving and frozen a bit from his sudden entrance, it was obvious they thought they were in trouble.

"Yuki your uncle would like us all to go out and have a nice dinner with him. Would you please get ready?" Haruka asked, offering a small smile and Yuki, eager to get out of the awkward situation quickly got up and retreated to her room. "Kaname… I think I understand how you feel, but she's a bit uncomfortable. Surely you can tell?"

"I know… I'm trying to control myself, but I can't seem to help it. I don't feel like myself lately. My… thoughts are scaring myself."

Haruka walked over and rested a hand over Kaname's forehead. "Well, son… you're a young man now. All young men have these thoughts, but I imagine it's a little awkward for you."

Kaname only sighed, it was best he didn't explain his exact thoughts to Haruka, because if he did he was sure they'd send him to some asylum somewhere.

"In any case… please have fun when you go."

"I'm sorry you can't go. I wish you could. It would be nice to have you there."

"I am fine here." Kaname replied. Haruka simply nodded and patted his shoulder, before walking out of the room and closing the door softly behind him.

Yuki hadn't gone to her room though; she had only left to escape whatever questions might be asked about that. Haruka stopped and glanced at her, while Juri and Rido stepping into the foyer as well, seemed everyone was ready except her, but… a thought hit her.

"Wait, what about Kaname? He can't go out like this and I'm not going to leave him all alone." She said and Juri frowned at her daughter.

"He's fine. The maids will watch over him." Haruka told her.

"I'm not leaving him alone." She argued. "It isn't fair! He can't come with us."

"You cannot stop living your life because of me." Kaname said, having heard her, he came out of his room, despite the effort it took. His arms were crossed over his chest, but it was only to hide the fact his hand beneath was pressed to the doorframe to support himself from falling over. "I want you to go out and have a nice time."

"Kaname…" Yuki said quietly, she wasn't happy he had to be left alone, but she was also angry that Rido was doing this, since he knew Kaname couldn't come with them.

"Go." He requested and she stepped forward and hugged him abruptly. This wasn't fair at all, it wasn't right. Why did they have to leave him behind? It took all his strength to let go of what was holding him up and hug her back. "It's alright. Please don't worry about me and have fun."

"Please, rest while I'm away, and when I get back I'll read to you."

"I will, Yuki."

"I'll go and get ready." As she left the room and her parents stepped out to wait at the car, Rido walked to him and blatantly smirked.

"You're holding that poor girl back. You should just die already."

"Think what you will." Kaname replied and turned to go back into his room.

XxXxX

More time passed, a season passed and despite his best efforts to hide it, his condition only grew worse and he was becoming tired and worn from this sickness. He was able to grow closer with Yuki in a way, but it may have been because he was getting sicker. She often watched over him much more as he did watch over her when she was only an infant, before he'd gotten sick. He was content with her care and her affections of a kiss on the cheek or the brow before leaving him to rest, he couldn't wish for anything more. He never intended to make her worry over him, he had only ever wanted to watch over her, but it seemed that he was making her life difficult.

Now at this time as he watched the snow slowly fall outside his window as she read to him, he wondered if it was best if he did let her get on with her life and move on from a sick brother that held her back from the world she could experience.

"Kaname? Are you listening?" She asked, cutting off from where she was reading. She reached over and held his hand as she looked at his pale face in concern.

"I'm always… hanging onto every word you speak to me…" He offered her a weak smile and squeezed her hand a bit.

"Let me get the doctor…"

"No. Not this time. It's fine. Just keep reading… please?" He begged her breathlessly, as he struggled to stay awake and breathe normally.

"Kaname…" She whispered quietly. It had been bad before, but never been this bad. It scared her and she wished she could be braver for him like he was for her. "Okay… Kaname… Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now," he listened quietly, glancing out the window as a last leaf feel from a tree under the fresh falling snow. His grip on her hand slackened and his vision blurred, while he slowly exhaled a long and deep breath, while his eyes slid closed. "Thus much let me avow - You are not wrong, who deem. That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away. In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less _gone_? _All_ that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream."

A tear dripped onto the poetry book and she didn't dare to look at him when she felt his grip loosen, she couldn't look at him. She couldn't bare it.

"Kaname?" She received no answer from him and she felt more tears welling up in her eyes as she tightly gripped his hand. "You're listening right? Right… Kaname?" After several long moments of silence she blinked and wiped at the tears, before looking at him. His face was expressionless, calm and he made not even the slightest of movements. Not even to take a breath in. "Kaname… mom!"

She cried out for her mother, not knowing what else to do as she inched forward and set her hands over his heart, only to feel nothing beneath her palms and even more tears fell and now she wasn't able to control her cries.

"Yuki! What…" Her mother stopped in the door way, unable to move. She already knew and before she collapsed Haruka came up behind her and caught her. after that it seemed to happen in what seemed like slow motion, the doctor coming in, the maid pulling her back off the bed and holding her in attempt to comfort the young sobbing girl, the doctor checking his pulse in silence, before shaking his head in a final confirmation of what she hoped was not so.

The doctor pulled the blankets slowly up over his face to cover him and offered his condolences to her parents, while she continued to stare and cry… the world passed her by, but it didn't matter. The world could pass by, because without Kaname there was no world for her, he had always been her whole world. She wished she could just die right now to be with him. There was nothing left… she was all alone now. The one true person, the only one who ever understood her was gone from her life forever. Despite her best efforts to understand why she had to lose the person she loved the most and go through this pain, she cursed God for taking him and collapsed to the floor sobbing in agony.

XxXxX

TBC...

Bare with me. This ending of the first chapter was tough, but it will get better. There's a twist. Leave a review, thanks for reading and God bless. If anyone wants to stay with me still, then I will update. Also, can anybody tell me what two authors Yuki read to him?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or it's characters and I make no profit off these writings.

A/N I know I know, Kash! You should be working on your OTHER VK fanfics, not making other ones so you can procrastinate on others! But alas... I cannot help myself. These ideas just won't leave me alone. I thought I wouldn't be writing for quite some time due to a bit of a health decline, but I somehow managed. Just need to take some vitamin B12 and I should start feeling better. No worries.

Calliope: Thanks. ^^ It's a lovely review that inspires me to update earlier than planned.  
1234567: Request granted.  
Isoya Kumiko: Thank you, I did not plan to make any of this so long, once it starts it keeps on going. Like the energizer bunny. /shotdead again.  
Guest: Thank you. I'm happy to hear that.  
And, yes YennicaTorez, I am very mean. Bad Kashy, bad. Very bad. (muse whines in a corner like a scolded puppy) Also, I'm a little sad nobody guessed what was being read. :( Yuki read two things to Kaname. Dracula by Bram Stoker and A Dream Within A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe.

Now read. Read on and ignore my bizzar rants.

XxXxX

It snowed at the funeral, a soft gentle snow and the world was covered in white, everyone's black suits and uniforms covered in tiny white fluffy dots. It was bleak and the preacher said a final farewell, before going on to read a verse before they would lower the coffin into the cold ground forever.

"He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Those words that the preacher read, they echoed in her mind in an odd way, she had again collapsed while her father was holding her securely in his lap and trying to comfort her in any way that he could. This day… she would never forget. The day they buried her beloved brother, taken far too soon for his time and it had not been fair then, it was not fair now and it would never be fair in the future.

Later that night she entered his room, it felt so empty. Everything felt so empty. She had already cried so much that now she didn't feel anything at all. In her state of agony she crawled into his bed and hid under the covers. The blankets and his pillow all still held his scent, which agonized her more to think that eventually even that would fade and there would be no remainders of him.

She would never understand… why did people have to die?

XxXxX

One Year Later…

It was late at night, far past midnight and Yuki snuck out of her home to go and visit with her brother at his grave. She dare not go to his grave during the day when her parents would know, because after a year passed they wanted her to move on already and be happy in life, not in misery and unable to move on. She understood their concerns, yet… she refused to just forget him.

"I thought about something the other day, Kaname… I never got to finish that poem to you. So… if you're not too busy conversing with God about something trivial that you needn't even be concerned with… I'll finish reading it to you." She leaned against the headstone and opened up the book. "I stand amid the roar. Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand - How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep - while I weep! O God! can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save _One_ from the pitiless wave? Is _all_ that we see or seem But a dream within a dream?"

In the reminder of how personal that felt she closed it and leaned her cheek against the cold stone of his grave.

"I never got to tell you how much I really did love you." She said softly. Her hand went up and her fingers traced along his name carved into his grave. She longed to touch his smooth warm skin rather than cold hard stone, but this would have to be good enough.

In her distraction, she was not aware of the shadow that watched her from the tree in the darkest and thickest part of the wooded cemetery, nor was she aware of the glowing red eyes that soon decided she would be the target.

The only indication that anything was wrong was the crack of a branch that startled her to be aware there was another presence nearby. It startled her immediately and she started to get up, not about to stand there like an idiot in one of those horror novels she read saying 'Hello? Anyone there?' While the killer snuck up behind her and killed her violently. No. She was smart and she was going to run, because no reasonable person ought to be out at this time.

She quickly stuffed her books into her bag and got up to run straight to the gate, but as she turned the corner and around the tree she slammed right into something hard and warm, a person surly, as a tree was hard and cold. Not warm.

"Little girls shouldn't be out so late at night…" The owner of said warmth stated.

"I know. I'm sorry! I have to go home." Yuki quickly jerked from his grasp and ran the opposite way, desperate to escape whatever danger she may be in. She ran without looking back, one might think she'd run because she was afraid to die, but that wasn't the reason. She ran because she didn't want her parents to lose another child.

XxXxX

Yuki spent a lot of time thinking about that night and a lot of time building up the courage to go back and see her brother. Regardless of her instincts telling her to stay home, she did go back and since hadn't seen anybody else there. She was glad for that. It let her visit with Kaname in peace; it let her read to him in peace. The night was relatively clear, the moon was bright enough to give her enough light that she didn't need her lantern, although occasionally a cloud obscured all light, before passing on and once more bathing the world in a pale blue tint.

"You know, Kaname you wouldn't believe what father said today. He looked at mother and he perfectly recited their wedding vows since it is there anniversary. It made her so happy she cried tears of joy." She told the cold grey stone that she traced her fingers over. "It was so nice to see them like that."

Once more she was unaware of red eyes watching her from the distant shadows. That which had been stalking her made a move. This time, however… she didn't hear or notice anything until she felt a dark presence that got closer. She turned to find a man standing there behind her, was it the same man from that night?

"What do you want?" She asked uneasily and the man simply smiled beneath a thick mustache revealing so very clearly exactly what it was he wanted. It shouldn't be so; it was just a coincidence, not some horror novel. Regardless she backed up and her back slammed against the stone.

The man made a move to step forward and grab her and she ducked between his legs and made to run for it, but he quickly recovered and hastened after her. She turned towards the gate, but found that the man had somehow gotten around her and made it there first. In a last ditch effort she picked up a fallen branch from the tree just on the other side, as if the outside world were attempting to rescues her from this fenced in death trap.

She swung when the man came at her, but he ducked and the branch was rotten and easily snapped the second it hit the iron black fence and she winced.

"Oh, crap." She backed up and tripped over another, cursing this branch and now thinking perhaps the outside world wanted her to say here and die after all as it had been not the slightest bit of help in her defense. The man walked forward and was about to grab her when a black blur slammed him into the fence last minute and the clouds concealed the moon, so her sight was gone and she only heard a scuffle and a high pitched scream of horror that soon ended in a wet gurgle. Clearly she heard the sound of something thick and wet dripping to the October leaf beneath foot.

The noises seemed to cease and the only thing she could hear now was the thundering beat of her heart in her chest as she awaited the cloud to pass. Any minute now, she hoped it would pass so she could see what horror she knew she might find, yet at the same time she hoped that it would not pass so that she did not have to see it.

Slowly as ever the cloud began to pass and pale blue tinted light filled the once pitch black graveyard again and looking up the sight was more horrible than she could have possibly imagined. The man that had attempted to assault her was pressed limp against the fence while another man clung to him unmoving, for whatever reason she knew not. Then she heard it, the faintest growl of a predator coming from the man. It had never happened before in life, but her body was completely locked in place with absolute fear of what was before her.

It felt like hours she was sitting there frozen, but she doubted it had actually been that long when the figure backed away from the man and let his now pale body drop to the ground with a dull wet thud against the leaves. He slowly glanced over at her while bringing up his arm to brush away to blood covering his face and she caught the faintest glow of red in his eyes, but was more shocked at the fact that his face was covered in blood. This thing before her was not a man that much was clear by this point. She didn't want to believe it. She wanted to brush it off as fiction for novels, but what she saw before her was real. It wasn't a dream, because she felt the pain from falling.

The beast's figure straightened up and his arm dropped to his side with a sigh as he stared at her and despite his glowing eyes, his face was still hidden in shadows beneath thick dark hair.

"I told you that little girls shouldn't be out here…" He kneeled before her and she daren't look at his face lest she see the blood, instead she kept her gaze down. "You're in shock you poor thing." She watched the same spot on his chest while he removed his long black wool coat and draped it over her shoulders to keep her warm. "Get up. Leave. And this time… do not come back."

His form disappeared from in front of her and for a while she continued to sit and stare at the body of the man that attacked her and she wondered why that creature hadn't killed her as well. Finally she got up and quickly made her way back home. She should heed the monster's words this time.

XxXxX

Days passed, weeks passed, months passed and she daren't go back to that graveyard after all that happened. Her parents had noticed that she had become oddly silent after that night and during cleaning her mother even found the coat and inquired about it.

"Yuki, who's is this?"

"Oh, it's a… friend's… from school." She answered, a bit lamely as it came out in a way that almost sounded dishonest, but her mother smiled.

"You have a boyfriend!" Juri gasped.

"No!" Yuki abruptly said, but it convince her mother not.

"Haruka! Yuki has a boyfriend!"

"What?! Do I get to meet him?"

She decided to let this one go, as it was better they didn't know the truth. That she had been in such danger, that she had gone to the graveyard despite their protest, that she went so late at night… and that she was almost killed by a beast. But the last part, they would not believe that anyways, so she let them think she had a boyfriend.

After they left her room after a few hours of badgering, she stared at the coat laid out on her bed in deep thought. She should return it… to that monster… after all… it hadn't killed her and… she wanted to see her brother again. His grave. She even forgot her books in the rush.

Finally with determination she waited until midnight and grabbed the coat and a bag and left her home through the window.

XxXxX

The night wasn't cold and it was bright enough to see fine. She was sure that he probably didn't need it back, especially after all this time, but here she was not even sure what she was doing. She was probably asking for her own death by coming out here again. After a bit of walking she stopped at the gates and glanced around.

She didn't see him anywhere; after all, she couldn't even be sure that he was still out here. He could have just been passing through the area in search of prey, which he had indeed found and devoured in a disturbing manner.

"Why are you back?"

She abruptly turned and looked towards the tree where she heard the voice, but the creature turned his face to the side and backed behind the tree in attempt to hide from her. Shouldn't she be the terrified one here? Why was this powerful creature hiding from her?

"I… I have your coat." She offered it to him and attempted to step around the tree, but he went farther around it to hide more from her. "Don't you want it?"

"Don't look at me." He requested, still hiding.

"Why…?"

"You needn't look at the face of a beast."

"It can't… be that bad…"

"Please, respect my wishes…"

There was a short silence before she looked down at the grass and sighed softly, maybe this really was a bad idea.

"Take your coat anyways." She held it out and watched as he finally reached a hand out to take it from her and retreat once more behind the tree.

"You seem to need it more than I… if you keep trying to die." He kept his face well hidden within shadow, but reached into the pocket of the coat and pulled out her book. "You left this in there."

"You put my book in there…?" Yuki asked in shock, wondering when he'd had the time for that or why he had even bothered to do that.

"Yes. You never looked inside." He stated calmly. "That man had bad thoughts of you. You need to go home before something bad happens."

She took the book when he held it out and her fingers brushed along his hand and that made her freeze once more. It was warm and soft and it brought back memories which didn't make any sense at all to her at that point in time.

"Did you have to kill him…?" She didn't let go of the book and neither did he.

"If I hadn't he would have killed you and… I was…" His grip on the book left and he backed farther into shadows away from her.

"You were hungry? You drank his blood right? Like a vampire? Is that what you are?" Yuki pressed and he was silent. "Like Dracula."

"I don't…" He cut himself off and it was clear he didn't want to speak about his nature with her, but instead of being afraid she was intrigued by it. "Go home."

"Thank you… for saving me." She said softly and turned around to go home. She wouldn't push too far, because she was quite aware of the monster that he was, but she had to at least give him back what belonged to him and thank him. For not killing her and keeping that man from her, whatever his reasoning may be.

XxXxX

After some amount of time, she completely went against her common sense once more and she went back to her brother's grave even after that, though she did not see that man anywhere, so she assumed that he had moved on to new hunting grounds. It seemed she was able to be here in peace with her brother's grave once more.

Though she couldn't help but think about what happened quite often. She didn't understand it; it went against everything scientific for a creature of his nature to exist. She wondered what Kaname would say about it, if she were to tell him and if he were able to answer. She imagined he might say something along the lines of not to be afraid, because he would protect her even if something like that did truly exist. Yes, in fact she was sure he would say that very thing. She was sure of it.

So time went and passed. It seemed like such a long time, but in reality it passed by so quickly it's gone before you can reach out and grasp it. The disturbing news came, that there was a war going on. At first it wasn't anything big, but gradually others became involved and their country did as well and before she knew it her father had gotten a draft letter. Her father was going away to war. Her mother was heartbroken and she had no one that she could turn to speak to about the agony of the thought of losing her father as well.

She went to the only place she could think of. Her brother's grave, because wherever he was at least here she could still turn to him. She didn't want to cry, she did her best to be a big girl and not do so, but at this point it simply couldn't be helped. She learned her back against his grave and curled up, sobbing into her knees that she'd pulled up to her chest and wrapped her arms around. Again, time seemed to do its oddity and pass slowly, as if she'd cried here for hours, but she doubted it had been that long even so.

There was a quiet sound of footsteps and she glanced up.

"Do not turn around." It was that voice of that creature again. There was silence for a moment, before he sat behind her against the opposite side of the stone. "What reason have you to cry?"

"I thought you were gone, sir Dracula." She sniffed and tried to keep from crying again. "My father has to go and fight in the war."

"I am sure that he is a strong man. He will be perfectly fine." He replied, sighing. He answered her other words. "And I've always been here."

"Your voice reminds me of someone." Yuki said quietly.

"Does it?" His voice seemed mostly passive.

"Why do you stay here?"

"Where else can a monster go but amongst the dead?" He asked and she was silent for some time after that question, unable to really find an answer.

"You're all alone?"

A long low sigh escaped him. "Yes. Though I should not be here speaking with you. I've broken my own rule."

"Why would you make a rule not to speak with me?" It was her turn to ask a question that he couldn't answer. "Why would you make that rule?" She asked again.

"Because I'd rather not kill you." He replied in a manner which was almost too passive for her liking. Perhaps he said he'd rather not do such a thing, but did he actually care if he did or not? And what was the reason for him not wanting to kill her in the first place?

"What's so special about me that you don't want to eat me?" Yuki asked and she heard a deep long sigh escape him.

"Yu-" His voice suddenly cut off and she turned around abruptly, staring at his back. No… No, no, no, no, this was just a coincidence. "I need to leave now." She turned so her back was to the stone once more, staring at the fence with wide eyes. She was just imagining this, of course, she knew that she said this every time and every time it was real, but this she was sure she was imagining. He was NOT about to say her name. He wasn't. He didn't know it. He couldn't know it.

Now he was about to leave, this… man if she could call him that was about to go and leave her without any answers at all. If she turned around he would run. If she turned around she was terrified of what she mind find. If she turned around she was never going to know the truth of the question that was plaguing her mind. She chose to follow her stupidity which had led her this far and reached behind her to grab his hand abruptly to stop him from leaving as she knew he would.

That action struck her with surprise. She expected to maybe feel fur, or scales or claws, but instead it was only the soft warmth of as if he were a completely normal human being. She would have believed he was a completely normal human if she hadn't witnessed his consumption of the blood of that man that night.

"Who… are you?" Yuki asked and though a few crickets chirped in the distance and it wasn't quite silent, it was a lack of words which made her nervous.

"I am nobody that you know of." He answered her finally. "But perhaps… perhaps… I know you."

"No. I know you." She said in a sure voice and squeezed his hand tighter, not letting go she took that opportunity to turn around fully and reached around to grab the collar of his midnight black coat and pull him hard enough to face her fully for once, but he managed to turn his face and slip from her tight grasp as if she had never even grabbed him in the first place.

"Leave me." He commanded in a tone that was bordering on the line of commanding and pleading, which was unbecoming of a creature like himself. She didn't plan to let him escaped that easily and grabbed for his arm, successfully catching this weary creature in her grasp once more, feeling more confident having backing him into a corner, rather than scared, as an animal in a corner was the most dangerous of them all.

And corned he was, because she did not intend to allow him the escape he so desperately wanted. She wanted to prove herself a liar and see his face and show that he was a horrific beast or that this was a terrible dream that was not occurring outside of fantasy or the safety of her mind, but no. When she was finally able to pull him around to face her and the moon shone bright enough for her to fully see his face all her breath escaped her in a gasp so she could not speak, but even if she could, no words could possibly express adequately what she felt.

"No…" Her strained voice choked out in a sob. "No. You're not here, Kaname. You're not here! You're not! This isn't real!" Her fists pounding against his chest and he didn't even try and run anymore. He allowed her weak beating as she lashed out at him violently in a form of denial, but he was not angry, nor could he blame her in the slightest for he had been too selfish to stay away and gotten close despite his own self promise upon waking.

"Please… calm yourself… for your own health."

"You liar! You coward! I hate you! I hate you so much!" she cried out and she would have collapsed just then as weakness overtook her, had he not caught her and held her against his chest. He lowered them both to the ground and held her in his lap, rocking her gently with his arms caging her in securely against himself.

"Shhhhh." He hushed and pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head, then lower along her tear stained cheek. It took some time, a long time of just sitting there and holding her before he felt the tension leave her bit by bit as she was coming to some sort of acceptance.

"Why did you leave me?" She finally asked him rested her head against his chest, because she was able to hear the calm rhythm of his heartbeat. "Why didn't you come back?"

"I couldn't come back to you. If it were at all possible I would have, but… you saw… what I've become. What I've always been. I'm not… your brother anymore. I never was. Now I understand why I was left on the side of the road. They knew what I was." Kaname replied gently, quietly and Yuki's grip on his shirt tightened.

"No. You're still my Kaname…" She shifted and her lips brushed along his throat and his eyelids lowered slightly at the feeling of her gentle kiss to that place. "You protected me even now." With each word her lips brushed along his throat and his lips parted in an inaudible groan at such an enjoyable feeling after being so long without having anyone touch him at all.

"You should go home… Yuki, please. It's too dangerous to be around me now."

"No. No. I don't want to. I won't." She kissed along his throat again and brought her hands up to his face and kissed along his cheek all the way over to the corner of his mouth, but that was where she stopped and went no farther. Perhaps it was simply platonic as she was so happy to be able to just be here with him after having thought he was dead for so long, but for him… he loved her far too much and if she continued as she was he was unsure how he would stop himself from giving into the desire to become as close to her as he possibly could. He wanted to be closer to her; he desired it so strongly he could hardly stand it.

"Your parents will be worried for you." He said very quietly and she lifted her head, brushing her nose against his lightly.

"They'd be so happy to see you… father would want to see you… before he has to leave…" Yuki replied and he simply shook his head.

"I can't go home. Not as I am." He sighed. "I've done such a bad thing…"

"Did you… kill a lot of people like that man…?"

"No… but I… was reasonable for the caretaker… I… it wasn't intentional… I didn't mean too… it just hurt so badly… the hunger was too much for me to stand and I…"

"But then you… didn't do it on purpose…"

"That doesn't make it right, Yuki."

"I know it doesn't." Her voice was somewhat weary at this point. "Please come home…" Now it was her turn to plead with him. "Please, Kaname. Just come home again."

"No." He said firmly, shifting her around and forcing her to stand up with him. "You go home. Forget this happened and go to bed. You've been through too much emotionally tonight… you need to go home and rest. Please. Don't make me worry."

Her grip on him slackened and she was silent, forcing him to once more catch her before she hit the ground. His heart was beginning to pound in his chest in fear for her. What was he going to do with her now? She had been through far too much emotionally this night and it had gotten to her and fatigued her to the point she could no longer even stay away. He quickly glanced back and forth across the large graveyard, before looking down at her in his arms. There was really only one thing that he could do at this point. He lifted her up and carried her up the hill towards the old abandon church with boarded up windows. His refuge, but they would be looking for her and she was in danger of his hunger now, completely at the mercy of the monster living inside of him.

XxXxX

TBC...

I told you to trust me. Alas, stay tuned to see what shall become of the two from this point on!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or it's characters and I make no profit off these writings.

A/N: Behold, the next chapter.

XxXxX

Upon waking from such an abrupt darkness, it took a few moments for her to remember everything that happened. She felt the softness of blankets beneath her fingertips and her eyes widened in horror. It couldn't be a dream and Kaname was dead.

"Kaname!" She called into the dark void of black around her. She waited for something, anything to happen, but for some time nothing did and she believed it was just a dream. Finally she heard a deep breath taken in and caught the slight glow of red.

"Yuki…" His voice replied slowly and she stared into the red glow of his eyes for a bit, until he moved closer to her and kneeled on the bed near her. She felt his arms go around her and pull her into the warmth of his chest. "Don't be scared."

"I'm not." Yuki answered and slid her fingers into his hair, messaging the back of his head gently in an effort to sooth him. It worked, because she felt the tension leave his muscles completely and he relaxed against her.

"I'm sorry…" His voice came out rough and weak. "I'm… craving for blood… yours… don't let me… you have to go…"

"You won't. You won't do it. I know you won't." She assured him; although she had the feeling that if he did end up biting her she wasn't going to be able to stop him. "Kaname… what happened to you?"

"I… woke up… in a box…" His voice trailed as he started to explain…

It was the strong scent that woke him, the scent of blood. How he knew that it was the scent of blood he couldn't figure out. His eyes snapped open and his hands reached up abruptly, feeling a smooth, cold, hard surface. Where was he? Another thing he didn't know, but as far as he knew he had died, had felt his last breath leave him. So where was he? He felt himself beginning to panic and slammed his hands against the surface above him, it didn't budge at first but he continued to pound at it before finally, thank God, the surface broke and slammed to the floor, having broken off from whatever kept it over him.

As he sat up, taking in the fresh air he realized he was in a suit sitting in a coffin. What was this? It wasn't heaven and it wasn't hell, but he had been so sure he was dead. His hands shot to his chest and felt around his heart. It pounded against his hands, but he'd been so in shock he didn't realize that the roaring in his ears was his own blood rushing. With that realization he stumbled out of the coffin, tripping here and there, unaccustomed to moving around this much.

As he made his way towards the doors that lead out of this room he could hear his heartbeat slowing as he tried to rationalize and get his head together so he wasn't panicking quite so badly. His footsteps echoed in the large empty room full of coffins and he swallowed hard, feeling how dry his throat felt and the pains of hunger deep in his stomach. How long had he been in there? He wondered a great many things as he pushed the door open and squinted in the bright light of the hallway. The door groaned loudly upon being opened and it drew the attention of the guard that had been watching over the door.

Their eyes met and Kaname could see the horror growing on the man's face as he became pale from fright. Suddenly his hands went for the gun at his side and Kaname couldn't understand what was so terrifying about seeing a man that had been mistaken for dead. It'd happened before, right? He wasn't the only one, he couldn't be.

His eyes lowered and he noticed the man had cut himself while apparently attempting to shave at work, so was that the smell that had been so strong? He inhaled and yes, that had to be it. Why… was this small thing… causing such an agonizing pain in his stomach?

"Back up! Get away!" The guard's hands shook and Kaname held his hands up.

"Please… I don't know what's going on…" Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled angrily and that startled the already frantic guard and he opened fire. Kaname felt several bullets hitting him and tearing completely through him. His breath caught in his throat in absolute shock. Was this how he would die, without a single chance?

Soon the guard had emptied the entire clip into him and Kaname and the guard simply stood there, waiting for him to die, but it never happened. Finally Kaname glanced down and touched the wounds, his fingers brushed over the holes in the fabric, and he pressed against the wound, promoting blood to splatter onto the floor. Yes, he was shot. He had been shot so many times, so why was he not dead yet? Or was this some kind of awful dream?

"Monster…" The guard gasped, his gun slipped from his fingers and his hands went to his heart as he dropped to his knees and shortly after his knees hit the cold marble floor, he collapsed on the floor. For several long minutes Kaname was too in shock to move or do anything at all. The poor man had died from fright, it was his entire fault. He slowly walked towards the dead guard, but then the sight of something reflecting in the glass doors to the darkened outside world drew his attention.

In the door stood a terrifying beast with long fangs and murderous red glowing eyes. For a moment or two, just for a moment… he was afraid, but that was when he came to a realization that caused his shoulders to tense, but then lowered and slump as he came to understand that the beast in the door was not copy his actions, but was indeed his own reflection.

"No… this is a dream…" He reached down and grabbed the gun, throwing it at his reflection in the window. The window shattered, but his anger and pain didn't break so easily. He lost all sense of himself and ran outside, despite the fact that it was raining. He slipped and stumbled in the mud, tripping several times, but he kept running for some time, urged on by this great need to run from himself, to run from what he saw, because he couldn't comprehend this horrible truth.

By the time had had finally stopping running and decided that he had to remain calm, he was by the gates of the graveyard. He could walk out of here, but where would he go? He had already seen exactly what a monster he was in his own reflection. It dawned on him that he had nowhere to go and that this place would have to remain his resting place. The world already believed he was dead. With a heavy heart he turned around and headed back to the building, but discovered several men had heard the commotion and come to investigate, not wanting a repeat of earlier, he hid behind a wall a listened to their frantic and scared arguing.

"I don't care! The family does not find out that his body was stolen!" A man shouted at the other man in uniform. The man's rage calmed as he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We'll close up the coffin and not mention it. They entrusted us with that body and burial of their son. They cannot know. And Mr. Lawrence, God rest his soul… he's died of natural causes… a heart attack. That much we don't have to lie about."

"I think we should tell the truth…" The other man stated.

"No! If they found out we let a body get stolen for God only knows what we'll be run out of business. Do you want that? No? Then we stick to my story."

Kaname was glad that he was at least this lucky to be able to escape with this crime, even if he still felt the guilt eating away at him, he didn't want them to know what he had become, so he disappeared into pitch blackness, towards the abandon, broken and boarded up church on the hill. That would be his resting place.

With that he ended his story, though some minor parts he left out, like how cold it was in the winter or how lonely it was, how he only had a field mouse to talk to on occasion.

"The rest isn't important… I hadn't intended for you to find out I was… here." He wouldn't say alive, it didn't sound appropriate.

"Kaname…" Yuki frowned deeply upon hearing his story. She knew he skipped over a bit, but she wasn't going to push for more. "I wish you wouldn't have hidden from me."

"I thought it was for the best. It still might be. I can only guess that I suppressed my basic instincts for so long, it finally pushed through and woke up what I really was. I always had the urges to drink blood, but at the time I may not have known it was that exactly."

"I don't… believe you're a monster."

"You saw that night."

"I don't believe it. I don't know what I saw."

"Yuki…" He lightly cupped her face between his hands, forcing her to look at him. "Go home now. You can't stay with me anymore."

"No." She refused and he sighed wearily. "Just let me stay with you for only tonight and I'll go home first thing early in the morning."

"I sleep during the morning, not at night. So you can't."

"Can't you make an exception this once?"

His gaze locked with hers, in an attempt to be firm and say no, but her eyes were enough to put puppies and kittens with little red bows in a field of flowers to shame. Another low sigh escaped him.

"Alright, but only this once. You won't forget it is only once?" He asked and she nodded. "Yuki… promise me."

"Mmhmm."

"Yes?"

"Yeah."

"You promise?"

"Yup." She pressed her lips together after saying it and watched his face. He didn't look amused.

His lips twitched slightly, she wasn't taking it seriously, but she did say she promised… "Okay. Then sleep now, it's late and you shouldn't be up so late." He laid back and watched her, though she didn't seem like she'd go to sleep anytime soon. And… His theory proved to be right as she stayed awake all night long watching him, unable to fall asleep. With the rising sun he was unable to keep awake, no matter how hard he struggled to. She would surely be the death of him.

XxXxX

Several weeks later…

Yuki waited for the bell to ring at school all day long, it seemed like the minute hand took hours to move, but finally it hit that number and school was out. She quickly grabbed her back and headed out of the class room.

"Yuki! Don't you want to study with us?" Her friend Yori asked, but Yuki waved her hand, smiling and shaking her head.

"No. I have to help my mother with something at home, but maybe tomorrow!" Yuki didn't wait for a response and ran all the way from the school… all the way to that accursed graveyard against Kaname's wishes. She knew that he knew she wasn't going to stay away. He scolded her every single time she came to see him, yet it did no good.

She made sure nobody was following her first before quietly opening the door to the old abandon church with blocked out windows. She had to be very careful so as not to wake him quite yet, though it was unlike he would wake so early from that. It was very dark inside, so she always had to bring some matches and light one of the many candles he had around. She stopped before closing the door and pulled out the match box and lit the nearest candle and then closed the door behind her.

She made her way into the dark and noticed him fast asleep on the oversized mattress on the floor, tucked into its own corner. She set her school bag down and snuck over to him, before she sat on him and pressed her hands against his chest.

"Kaname… wake up." She knew it was irritating, she knew he had to sleep during the day and she knew she'd kept him up often, but she wasn't going to stop until he stopped telling her she couldn't visit with him. She shook him. "Come on…"

"Unh…" He turned his face to the side, mumbling in his sleep and trying to hide under the safety of his blankets, but seeing as she was sitting on him and the blankets, he couldn't pull them up farther, instead he settled for bringing his arm across his eyes.

"Ah, you're really hard to wake up today." She said quietly and grabbed his arm, setting it back to his side. In his sleep he made a face, clearly irritated. She lightly brushed his hair away from his eyes and stroked her fingertips along his cheek. Her eyes lowered and found the edge of his shirt ridden up and she wondered how it had felt for him to be shot… if it left marks…

He was still completely dead to the world, so she was able to easily reach down and inch it up father and she found it had left marks, because he refused to drink blood he didn't healed properly. Her eyes softened in sadness for him having to go through that all alone. She slowly brushed her fingers along the small scars she found; it felt different from the rest of his skin. She was about to see how many more he might have, but before she could lift his shirt high his hand grasped her wrist.

"What are you doing?"

"I was just looking… I wanted to know… if it left marks…" She answered him quietly. "Did it really hurt?"

"No." He released her hand, his head and eyes hurt because he was so tired, but with her here he'd never be able to sleep. He'd have slept this entire time too, but the provocative way she was sitting on him and touching him didn't help him sleep very well. He sat up abruptly and wrapped his arms around her, before dragging her back down onto her side with him under the covers.

"Kaname!"

"Shhhh. Sleep…" He replied simply, closing his eyes once more. Instead of arguing she decided to let him go back to sleep and snuggled closer into him. It was pitch black beneath the blankets, but she still knew exactly where he was in front of her, if not for the warmth of his breath on her face, because she could sense his presence so surely. She leaned her forehead against his and her nose brushed against his slightly, causing him to sigh softly and settled his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her just slightly closer. "Do you love me?"

"You already know that I-"

"Only as your brother…?"

She was silent for a moment. "I don't know…"

"Never mind it. Disregard my words, please." He said suddenly, detecting her discomfort. It was no use though, because her unease and weariness became clear through her body language as she backed away from him a bit. "I'm sorry… it wasn't my intention to-"

"I know…" She responded for a lack of better things to say. "I should go back home now though, it is getting late." He frowned for a second before abruptly suppressing it and putting on a stoic façade so she wouldn't notice how he truly felt about her words, but regardless she caught his frown before he could hide it. "Tomorrow is Saturday. I can spend the whole day with you. Okay?"

"You don't have to. It's fine."

"Too bad." She replied and poked him in the side before she got up to leave, grabbing her bag on the way out. He sighed and rubbed at his side. She was so troublesome, yet even so he wanted her to comeback every time.

XxXxX

It seemed tonight would be the usual routine. He felt a light weight on his chest, but still refused to move or awaken to the full degree yet. Before long he felt soft, languid licks along his throat beneath his chin and he stiffened abruptly. It had to be some sort of a dream. Yes, that's right. He was dreaming.

…

No. He wasn't dreaming he was awake now. "Yuki…?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"Homework…" She answered slowly and he peeked an eye open, finding himself face to face with black fuzzy ears. "Yuki…"

"Yes?"

"Why is there a cat on me?"

"Huh? Oh!" She was startled when she looked over to find that her new friend had crawled onto Kaname and was fascinated by his taste. "He must really like you."

"Why did you bring your cat with?" He asked, sitting up.

"Oh… he isn't mine. Mother wouldn't let me keep him, but you could right?"

"I can't keep a cat, Yuki." He replied, sighing quietly and rubbing his tired eyes. The cat had begun curling itself in his lap, purring lightly and closings it's eyes in contentment, small nails flexing into his thigh. It was like tiny pins through the fabric of his pants and into his flesh, an irritating feeling that gated on his teeth.

"Kaname… I was counting on you." She set her homework aside and moved closer to him. "I thought you would help me."

"I…" He was shocked at her words. "I don't have any way to feed it in the first place."

"I'll bring food. Kaname, please?"

"Very well. I'll watch it." He gave in with an exasperated sigh.

"Yes! Thank you so much I knew you would." She crashed into him with a tight hug and the cat mewled unhappily as his space was invaded.

"Yuki…" He slowly slid his arms around her back, enjoying her warmth so close. She seemed to get a little uncomfortable, but he wasn't interested in letting her go yet even if she was uncomfortable. Selfish or not he needed her warmth against him.

"Kaname?" She questioned him quietly, but he didn't seem he was going to let her go. It took a minute, but she reminded herself of all those years Kaname took care of her and watched over her and was able to relax because she knew he wasn't going to hurt her. She really didn't know why she was afraid of him, vampire or no he was still Kaname. She nuzzled into his neck and closed her eyes, relaxing into his warmth.

"I'm glad… that you stayed with me even after I was the one that asked you to stay away." He admitted quietly. "Such a stubborn girl…"

After several long moments he shifted and realized she'd fallen asleep on him. He very gently pulled the blankets back and settled her into the warm bed. His gaze lingered on her sleeping face and he smiled. How could she just fall asleep so easily on him? It must be because she was staying up late just to stay with him. He very gently stroked his fingers through her hair and along her cheek, before replacing his fingers with his lips and kissing her cheek so very slightly.

Slowly he inched back just slightly and he examined her face thoroughly. He swallowed past his dry throat and lowered his lips to her neck, his tongue peaked out and slowly painted a trail starting from her shoulder and ending just below her ear. She shifted slightly against him. Such a sweet taste she had. If only he could just… just… he cut the thoughts off before they developed any further and pulled away. When he glanced over he frowned upon seeing the cat glaring at him with a swishing tail.

"I was not going to…" He stated, but also not sure why he felt like justifying himself to a cat of all the things. Maybe he was slowly going insane and none of this was real. He lay beside her and watched her in the still darkness. He loved admiring her; to him she was the most beautiful thing in this world and he didn't want to ever have to look away.

Again he reached forward to stroke her cheek, unable to resist touching her or feeling her soft skin beneath his fingertips. It didn't seem to bother her too much. She relaxed against him instead and after a few moments snuggled into his chest. His eyes widened in surprise, but he was actually very happy to have her so close and also comfortable to be close. Slowly he breathed her in and his eyes slid close, abandoning himself to sleep as well.

Some hours passed and the sun slowly rose, he fell deeper into sleep as she woke; additional proof of their differences. At first upon waking she smiled at how peaceful he looked in his sleep, she trailed her fingers along his brow and down his nose. It amazed her that didn't wake him, but then again she really had been keeping him up so long he might be over tired. Suddenly realization hit her and she realized that it was morning! She was going to be late for school. She quickly kissed his cheek as a goodbye and sprinted for the door after grabbing her coat.

Luckily she made it out of the grave yard so she'd have just enough time to get to school without being late and getting into trouble.

"Yuki?" A voice asked and she turned to see her friend making her way down the sidewalk.

"Oh, Yori."

"You came from the cemetery. Were you visiting your brother's grave today?" Yori asked in a cautious tone, knowing the subject was very sensitive to her friend.

"Y-yeah. So I'm a little bit of a mess." She sighed quietly. "Ah, we really should get going so we're not late, me being late is one thing, but I'd hate to make your prefect record have a mark against it."

"If you need to talk…"

"No. It's alright. Really."

So with that they continued on their walk to school. It seemed mainly uneventful throughout the walk there and it was for the most part the usual clear sunny day. Once they got into the school lot and entered the building both quickly glanced at one another.

"I thought we were safe, maybe everyone started early? I'm sorry Yori I've ruined your record!" Yuki whined, puppy eyes begging forgiveness.

Yori checked her watch and frowned. "No. We're just on time. We should just head to our class room. Everyone must be waiting."

Meanwhile back in the graveyard the slamming of the door had woken him when she had run out quickly. Kaname let out a deep sigh and pulled his blankets over his head, but suddenly he noticed two yellow eyes staring back and realized the cat had climbed beneath the blankets with him and he frowned and sat up. Another sigh escaped and he stared at a spot on the wall, before looking around the room slowly.

That cat was really irritating to some degree. It was taking his sleeping space, Yuki woke him up early… was he forever going to forgo sleep? And… wait a moment… speaking of her… wasn't that her school bag? Ah! She'd been in such a rush she had forgotten it and all her homework was in it as well, so he quickly scooted over the bed to the place she had been sitting and flipped the bag open then began putting her homework into it. One book froze him and he glanced away from it briefly. His sweet innocent Yuki… learning something so crass as sexual education. He didn't like that thought at all, nope, not one single bit.

He huffed and put the book in the bag as well. There was a small stream of sunlight coming in, so he knew it was early, but… she would fail if she didn't have her homework and he couldn't allow that, not because of him.

"Uhhh…" He whined of disapproval, but picked the bag up and made his way to the door. He gave one more backward glance at the cat. "Stay, Mr… ahh… I don't recall your name, but please stay." He sighed and frowned, but opened the door and exited out of the room, for the first time in the day light.

The light really burned, it really burned for someone so used to the darkness. It felt unbearably hot here as well. How did Yuki stand this kind of weather? He decided that it didn't matter and forced himself into a slow sprint so he could get the bag to her in time. And well… let's just say running was something he despised, so he just wouldn't do it.

He slowly made his way down the street and followed the way towards the school, but upon arriving his heart clenched and dropped. There were police surrounding the building and news reports all around, something bad had happened. Forget what he said about running, he sprinted as quickly as he could carry himself towards the front doors.

"Sir! You can't go in there!" A cop shouted and tried to grab him, but he shoved the officer off of him and ran around the back. He quickly disappeared into the shadows and watched as two officers ran off the way they thought he had gone.

"Damnit, find him! That guy might instigate the shooter!" One cop yelled. What?! There was a man with a gun inside the school with Yuki? It made him start to panic. He quickly looked around and found an open window with a nearby tree. There, that was the opening he needed. He scowled, this was why schools needed several armed security guards with body armor. This was the real world; the only thing that would stop a bad guy with a gun was a good guy with a gun. Unless of course you happened to have a scary vampire as an adoptive older brother that is…

He settled a foot on a low branch and hoisted himself up, climbing as high as he could get, before making a leap to the window ledge. He exhaled sharply, almost slipping. This was one thing that Kaname Kuran was not good at; psychical activity. He managed to make it inside and slowly made his way down the hallway, keeping a very close eye on every corner and doorway. He wasn't afraid for himself; he just didn't want to risk stirring up this person with the gun and endanger Yuki in anyway.

His footsteps were silent as he made his way towards one of the rooms, but he distinctly detected a familiar scent and his gaze shot over to the girls' locker room. Oh, no, he really shouldn't go in there, but… he had no choice but to check. What if she was harmed to scared or something else of that nature? He couldn't let it go unchecked so he walked towards the entrance and as she stepped in he felt something smack him over the back of the head. Hard.

"Ah…." He held the place, who'd hit him hard enough to make him bleed?

"Kaname?!"

"Yuki…" He said in a very calm tone, straightening up. "You forgot your bag." He handed said bag to her and instead of taking it she abruptly hugged him, causing him to accidentally drop it between them in complete surprise.

"Kaname there's-"

"I know… just stay here and I will stop them."

"You can't he-"

"Shoot me?" He asked her and she looked down upon his words. He reached and smoothed the hair away from her face.

"Yuki… is he your boyfriend?" Yori asked, somewhat confused, she had to be imagining it, but she swore he looked just like her brother, but Yuki's brother was long since dead. It had to be a coincidence. Kaname looked over at Yori, but he didn't want to confirm nor deny it, because they would have to come up with a cover story for him. Nobody could know.

"Stay here, Yuki." He ordered.

She nodded and watched as he turned around, but as he stepped out it was clear that the man with the gun had heard them and opened fire the second Kaname stepped out of the locker room. He winced upon feeling the bullets pelting his back, but his vampiric skin was an armor of its own and kept most of the shots from existing and causing more damage.

He dropped down and immediately faked death, he waited as he heard the footsteps approaching him and held still while the man shot him several more times in the back, before he turned towards the locker room, that was the instant he grabbed the man's leg and jerked him down, slamming him into the wall and sinking his fangs deep into the man's throat. He ripped apart this man's throat, swallowing deeply in blood and memory. This man was not right in the head, sick and twisted. His mind was not that of a normal human, just as the man in the grave yard that went after Yuki.

The man couldn't even get out a scream, it was a wet gurgle as he choked on his own blood and pulled the trigger, holding it down and randomly firing until the clip click empty. Kaname released the lifeless body and let it drop to the floor, while wiping the blood from his lips with his dark sleeve.

His eyes followed the gasp of shock, Yuki and Yori had seen everything. Hadn't he specifically ordered them to stay put? He stepped forward and almost slipped in the growing puddle of blood. She hadn't been witness to the previous gore of his murder, as it was dark and she was a human that couldn't see in pitch black.

"Yuki…" He started to say something, but he heard the police move and bust down the door upon hearing gunshots being fired. Now he had to quickly make his escape, having his fill of blood he had more energy and was able to quickly disappear around a corner.

"Yuki… what… just happened…?" Yori asked.

"Yori, please, please keep it a secret! Please!" She grabbed her friend's hands desperately as they backed away from the body as the police swarmed in, pushing them back. "Yori… Kaname is a vampire, please don't tell anyone." Yuki whispered to her.

XxXxX

TBC...


End file.
